How To Determine Fault After A Car Vs. Truck Accident
While any type of vehicle accident can be serious and unsettling to those involved, car accidents that involve a commercial truck have a higher chance of serious injuries and even death. When these types of vehicles are involved in an accident, how do you know for sure who is at fault? Is the car driver the one most likely to win a lawsuit in this case, or is the truck driver more likely to win? Well, it depends on who caused the accident and there are some ways you can use to determine who is at fault.
Position of the Car
One way to know if the car or the truck is at fault for an accident is to know where the car was positioned during the accident. For example, large trucks have several blind spots in which the driver can't see what is beside them or behind them and if a car is traveling in the truck's blind spot, the driver of the truck might change lanes into the path of an oncoming car by mistake.
If a car is driving slowly in a passing lane, a truck's driver might not be able to see a small car that is directly in front of them and might end up crashing into the car should they pick up speed, or if they must stop, it takes longer for a truck to come to a complete stop and might end up rear-ending the car.
Speed Plays a Factor
A truck should be driving in the far right-hand lane as they do tend to drive a bit slower than cars do. Cars need to be aware of their speed and not to tailgate a larger vehicle as they can't see around them to know if the truck will need to stop quickly due to traffic or construction. This could result in the car crashing into the back of the truck. The same thing is true of driving too slowly in front of a truck if you are going to drive slower, it is better to pull over if you can and let the truck pass.
Passing a Truck
Another possible cause of an accident between a truck and a car is, if the car tried to pass the truck while it was trying to turn. Trucks need a much wider turning range than a car and will use the passing lane or left lane to make their turn if they are going right. A car might have tried to pass the truck before they made this turn and it could result in a collision.
Contact a lawyer, like The Reed Noble Law Firm PLLC, for more help.
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